Forex traders said foreign fund inflows and possible intervention by the RBI supported the rupee at lower levels and restricted the downfall. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The rupee recovered from its all-time low level and appreciated by 5 paise to 83.65 against the US dollar in early trade on July 22, as the American currency retreated from its elevated level.

Forex traders said foreign fund inflows and possible intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) supported the rupee at lower levels and restricted the downfall.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the Indian rupee opened at 83.66, and touched an early high of 83.65, registering a gain of 5 paise from its previous close.

On Friday, the rupee depreciated 7 paise to settle at its all-time low of 83.70 against the US dollar.

“A weakening dollar — prompted by shifts in the macroeconomic landscape and emerging cracks in US economic data — caused the dollar index to dip to 104. This scenario saw emerging market currencies rising against the dollar,” CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said. However, despite these rupee-supporting factors, the Indian currency hasn’t appreciated significantly, he added.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was at 104.29, lower by 0.10%.

Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.69% to $83.20 per barrel.

On the macroeconomic front, India’s forex reserves jumped by $9.699 billion to an all-time high of $666.854 billion for the week ended July 12, the RBI said on July 19.

In the previous reporting week, the kitty had increased by $5.158 billion to $657.155 billion, surpassing the previous high of $655.817 billion for the week ended June 7.

“This increase (in forex reserves) suggests that the RBI is actively preventing the Rupee from strengthening, even in the face of significant inflows into the equity and debt markets,” Mr. Pabari said.

In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex was trading 264.92 points, or 0.33% lower at 80,339.73 points. The broader NSE Nifty was down 88.10 points, or 0.36%, to 24,442.80 points.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the capital markets on Friday as they purchased shares worth ₹1,506.12 crore, according to exchange data.

Among Sensex shares, State Bank of India, NTPC, UltraTech Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Tata Motors, Maruti and ITC were the biggest winners.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Benchmark Sensex and Nifty closed at new record high levels on July 15 helped by fresh foreign fund inflows and buying in State Bank of India.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 145.52 points or 0.18% to settle at a new record high of 80,664.86. During the day, it advanced 343.2 points or 0.42% to hit a high of 80,862.54.

The NSE Nifty rallied 84.55 points or 0.35% to settle at an all-time closing high of 24,586.70. During the day, it surged 132.9 points or 0.54% to hit a new record peak of 24,635.05.

Among Sensex shares, State Bank of India, NTPC, UltraTech Cement, Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Finance, Tata Motors, Maruti and ITC were the biggest winners.

On the other hand, Asian Paints, Tata Steel, Axis Bank, JSW Steel, Tech Mahindra and Tata Consultancy Services were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul and Shanghai settled higher while Hong Kong ended lower. European markets were trading lower. The U.S. markets ended in positive territory on July 12.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹4,021.60 crore on Friday, according to exchange data. Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.18% to $85.15 a barrel.

The BSE benchmark jumped 622 points or 0.78% to settle at 80,519.34 on Friday. Nifty surged 186.20 points or 0.77% to settle at 24,502.15.

The rupee appreciated 5 paise to 83.45 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, July 5, 2024, as the American currency retreated from its elevated levels and was supported by significant foreign fund inflows.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 83.48 and gained further to 83.45 against the greenback, registering a rise of 5 paise from its previous close.

On Thursday, the rupee pared its initial losses and settled for the day on an almost flat note at 83.50 against the US dollar.

Forex traders said rising crude oil prices weighed on investor sentiments and restricted the upside. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, declined 0.37 per cent to USD 87.11 per barrel.

“The pressure stems from oil marketing companies purchasing crude in anticipation of further price hikes, with Brent oil hovering around USD 87 per barrel. Additionally, it appears the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is managing the rupee’s volatility, capping both its upward and downward movements,” CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 105, lower by 0.12 per cent.

“The Dollar Index fell towards 105 levels and US 10-year bond yields dropped towards 4.35 per cent, as a series of economic data showed a cooling US economy, thereby heightening the expectations that the US Fed will cut rates sometime soon,” Pabari added.

On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share BSE Sensex fell 386.58 points, or 0.48 per cent, to 79,663.09 points. The broader NSE Nifty declined 84.85 points, or 0.35 per cent, to 24,217.30 points.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) were net buyers in the capital markets on Thursday, as they purchased shares worth ₹2,575.85 crore, according to exchange data.

Brokers react after the Sensex surge in early morning trade. File photo
| Photo Credit: ANI

Equity benchmark indices started the trade on an optimistic note on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, with the Sensex breaching the historic 80,000-mark for the first time ever and the Nifty hitting its fresh lifetime high, amid heavy buying in bank stocks and firm global market trends.

The 30-share BSE Sensex jumped 597.77 points to hit a new lifetime high of 80,039.22. The Nifty climbed 168.3 points to hit a fresh record peak of 24,292.15.

Among the Sensex pack, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Bajaj Finance, IndusInd Bank, Bharti Airtel and Nestle were the biggest gainers.

Tata Consultancy Services, Sun Pharma, Infosys and Tata Motors were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong were trading in the positive territory while Shanghai quoted lower.

US markets ended higher on Tuesday.

The BSE benchmark declined 34.74 points or 0.04 per cent to settle at 79,441.45 in a volatile trade on Tuesday. During the day, it jumped 379.68 points or 0.47 per cent to hit a record peak of 79,855.87.

The Nifty declined by 18.10 points or 0.07 per cent to 24,123.85. Intra-day, it climbed 94.4 points or 0.39 per cent to hit a lifetime high of 24,236.35.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.56 per cent to USD 86.72 a barrel.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth ₹2,000.12 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.

The BSE Sensex recorded the best monthly gain in June by climbing 7.14%. The Sensex breached the historic 79,000 mark on June 27.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Nine of the top-10 most valued firms together added ₹2,89,699.42 crore in market valuation last week, with Reliance Industries emerging as the biggest gainer, in line with a rally in equities. Last week, the BSE benchmark jumped 1,822.83 points or 2.36%.

The BSE Sensex recorded the best monthly gain in June by climbing 7.14%. The Sensex breached the historic 79,000 mark on June 27.

While Reliance Industries, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, Infosys, Hindustan Unilever and ITC were the gainers, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) emerged as the laggard.

The Market Capitalisation (mcap) of Reliance Industries jumped ₹1,52,264.63 crore to ₹21,18,951.20 crore. TCS added ₹34,733.64 crore taking its valuation to ₹14,12,845.09 crore.

The mcap of ICICI Bank soared ₹30,286.99 crore to ₹8,44,201.88 crore and that of Bharti Airtel surged ₹18,267.7 crore to ₹8,22,530.35 crore. The market valuation of Infosys climbed ₹14,656.3 crore to ₹6,50,602.10 crore and that of HDFC Bank zoomed ₹13,808.74 crore to ₹12,80,865.43 crore. State Bank of India’s valuation rallied ₹11,111.14 crore to ₹7,57,565.68 crore.

The mcap of Hindustan Unilever went up by ₹7,953.37 crore to ₹5,81,570.83 crore and that of ITC climbed ₹6,616.91 crore to ₹5,30,475.82 crore. However, the valuation of LIC tumbled ₹22,042.61 crore to ₹6,25,573.90 crore.

Reliance Industries remained the most valued firm, followed by TCS, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, Infosys, LIC, Hindustan Unilever and ITC.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, UltraTech Cement, Sun Pharma, Adani Ports, Axis Bank, NTPC and Bajaj Finance were the biggest gainers.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Stock market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty ended at their fresh all-time high levels on June 26 in tandem with a rally in Asian peers and buying in Reliance Industries.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 620.73 points or 0.80% to settle at a new closing peak of 78,674.25. During the day, it rallied 705.88 points or 0.90% to hit a fresh all-time high of 78,759.40.

The Nifty went up by 147.50 points or 0.62% to settle at a record closing peak of 23,868.80. Intra-day, it surged 168.6 points or 0.71% to hit the fresh lifetime high of 23,889.90.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, Reliance Industries, Bharti Airtel, UltraTech Cement, Sun Pharma, Adani Ports, Axis Bank, NTPC and Bajaj Finance were the biggest gainers. Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Steel, Tech Mahindra and JSW Steel were among the laggards.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong settled with gains. European markets were trading on a mixed note. The U.S. markets ended mostly higher on June 25. Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.80% to $85.69 a barrel.

“Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹1,175.91 crore on Tuesday,” according to exchange data. The BSE benchmark jumped 712.44 points or 0.92% to settle at 78,053.52 on Tuesday. The Nifty went up by 183.45 points or 0.78% to settle at 23,721.30.

Among the Sensex 30 companies, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Bajaj Finserv, Power Grid and IndusInd Bank were the biggest gainers.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Benchmark equity indices rallied in early trade on June 21, with the NSE Nifty hitting a fresh all-time peak, helped by buying in IT stocks and continuous foreign fund inflows.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 329.52 points to 77,808.45 in early trade. The Nifty went up by 100.1 points to hit a record peak of 23,667.10.

Among the Sensex 30 companies, Tech Mahindra, Infosys, HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Bajaj Finserv, Power Grid and IndusInd Bank were the biggest gainers.

Tata Steel, Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank and HDFC Bank were among the laggards. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹415.30 crore on June 20, according to exchange data.

“The market is in a consolidation phase, and this is likely to continue. There are no major triggers for aggressive buying or selling. Even in this consolidation phase the undertone of the market is bullish and, therefore, buying on dips will emerge imparting resilience to the market,” said V. K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude declined 0.15% to $85.58 a barrel. Rallying for the sixth straight session on June 20, the BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 141.34 points or 0.18% to settle at a new closing peak of 77,478.93. The Nifty rose 51 points or 0.22% to settle at its fresh closing high of 23,567.

In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong were quoting lower. The U.S. markets ended on a mixed note on Thursday.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, JSW Steel, Tata Steel, Axis Bank, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Asian Paints were among the biggest gainers.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty soared to new lifetime highs on June 20, fuelled by robust buying in market heavyweights Reliance, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank amid a recent surge in foreign capital inflows.

Rallying for the sixth straight session, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 141.34 points or 0.18%s to settle at a new closing peak of 77,478.93. During the day, it surged 305.5 points or 0.39% to 77,643.09.

The NSE Nifty rose 51 points or 0.22% to settle at its fresh closing high of 23,567. Intra-day, it soared 108 points or 0.45% to 23,624. Among the 30 Sensex companies, JSW Steel, Tata Steel, Axis Bank, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, Hindustan Unilever, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Asian Paints were among the biggest gainers.

In contrast, Mahindra & Mahindra, Sun Pharma, NTPC, Wipro, State Bank of India and Power Grid were among the laggards. In Asian markets, Seoul and Tokyo settled in the green, while Shanghai and Hong Kong ended lower.

Markets in Europe were trading in positive territory. US markets were closed on Wednesday in observance of Juneteenth. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹7,908.36 crore on June 19, according to exchange data. Global oil benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.16% to $85.21 a barrel.

Rising for the fifth straight session on Wednesday, the BSE benchmark climbed 36.45 points or 0.05% to settle at 77,337.59. However, the Nifty ended at 23,516, down 41.90 points or 0.18%. Intra-day, it rose 106.1 points or 0.45% to 23,664.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank, State Bank of India, Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra and HCL Technologies were the gainers.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty ended flat on June 19 after hitting new lifetime peaks during the session on the emergence of profit-taking amid a lack of immediate triggers. In a volatile trade, profit booking in consumer durables, capital goods and energy shares negated strong gains in banking and financial stocks.

Rallying for the fifth straight session, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 36.45 points or 0.05% to settle at a new closing high of 77,337.59. During the day, it soared 550.49 points or 0.71% to hit the fresh lifetime peak of 77,851.63.

The NSE Nifty ended at 23,516, down 41.90 points or 0.18%. Intra-day, it rose 106.1 points or 0.45% to hit a new record of 23,664.

Among the 30 Sensex companies, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank, State Bank of India, Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra and HCL Technologies were the gainers.

On the other hand, Titan, Maruti, Bharti Airtel, Larsen & Toubro, NTPC, Reliance Industries, Bajaj Finance and Power Grid were among the laggards. In Asian markets, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong settled higher, while Shanghai ended lower.

European markets were trading lower in mid-session deals. The U.S. markets ended in positive territory on June 18. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) bought equities worth ₹2,569.40 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data. Global oil benchmark Brent crude declined 0.22% to $85.14 a barrel.

The BSE benchmark Sensex climbed 308.37 points or 0.40% to settle at 77,301.14 on Tuesday. The Nifty went up by 92.30 points or 0.39% to hit a record closing high of 23,557.90.

On June 6, the Rupee settled seven paise higher at 83.44 against the dollar.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

The Rupee depreciated five paise to settle at 83.49 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on June 6 due to foreign capital outflows and rising crude oil prices overseas.

Forex traders said a weak American currency and firm trend in the equity markets supported the local currency even as investors remained concerned ahead of the RBI’s monetary policy decision to be announced on June 7.

At the interbank foreign exchange market, the local unit opened at 83.40 and touched the intra-day low of 83.50 against the greenback during the session.

The local unit finally settled at 83.49 (provisional) against the American currency, down five paise from its previous close. On Wednesday, the Rupee settled seven paise higher at 83.44 against the dollar.

According to Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas, the Rupee depreciated due to a surge in crude oil prices and selling pressure from FIIs (foreign institutional investors). However, a weak U.S. dollar and positive tone in the domestic markets supported the Rupee at lower levels.

“We expect the Rupee to trade with a slight negative bias on worries over rising crude oil prices, and as FIIs continue to sell in the markets. However, positive tone in the domestic markets as NDA is expected to come back to power for the third consecutive term, raising optimism over policy continuity may support the Rupee at lower levels,” Mr. Choudhary said, adding that “USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of ₹83.20 to ₹83.80”.

Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.03% lower at 104.18. Analysts attributed the weakness in the dollar index to a sharp fall in U.S. Treasury yields after the latest data showed job growth in May was slower than estimated, raising expectations of an interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

“Market participants are likely to take further cues from the weekly employment data and trade balance numbers to be released later in the day. Besides, the decision of RBI’s rate-setting panel is likely to impact investor sentiment,” they added.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of RBI on Wednesday started its three-day deliberations to decide the next monetary policy. Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das will announce the outcome on June 7.

“The Reserve Bank of India is set to keep its repo rate at 6.5% at its June 7 review. The policy is turning more restrictive as cooling inflation pushes up real rates, hurting growth,” said Amit Goel, co-founder and Chief Global Strategist at Pace 360.

He further said the RBI’s record dividend payment of ₹2.1 lakh crore to the government for FY24 may alleviate concerns about the growth outlook. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, advanced 0.31% to $78.65 per barrel.

On the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 692.27 points or 0.93% to close at 75,074.51. The broader NSE Nifty rose 201.05 points or 0.89% to 22,821.40.

Foreign investors were net sellers of Indian equities on Wednesday as they offloaded shares worth ₹5,656.26 crore on a net basis. FIIs bought shares worth ₹21,012.72 crore and sold equities worth ₹26,668.98 crore in the cash segment.